Foot-rest for vehicles.



N0- 826,862, PATENTED JULY 24, 1906. W. H. LITTLE. FOOT REST FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 16,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. LITTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOOT-REST FOR VEHICLES.

Patented July 24, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. LITTLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foot-Rests for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to foot-rests for automobiles, carriages, and other vehicles, and has for its object to provide a device of this nature having the character of an accessory or attachment capable of application and use without fastening devices and readily removable when not wanted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and strong foot-rest capable of adjustment to varying angles, according to the level or pitch of the floor of the vehicle and the extent of resistance to be afforded by the foot-rest, and also capable of being folded or collapsed to a position parallel throughout with the floor of the vehicle. To these ends my invention resides in a detachable foot-rest having the peculiarities of construction and manner of manipulation substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined in the claims.

My invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Flgure 1 is a top plan view of my improved foot-rest. Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a side view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the device in its folded or collapsed position.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates each of a pair of parallel angle-bars, to and between which is rigidly secured, as by screws 6, a plank 7, the width of said plank being preferably approximately one-half the length of the frame-bars 5. Hinged to the inner edge of the plank 7, as by hinges 8, secured to the upper side thereof, is another plank 9. This plank is somewhat shorter than the rigid plank 7, its ends just overlapping the inner edges of the horizontal portions of the frame-bars 5, as shown in Fig. 1, and to the upper surface of the plank 9, at its opposite ends, are secured, as by screws 10, a pair of metal guardlates 11, forming endwise extensions of t e plank, which plates, when the plank is flat, overlie and rest upon the upstanding portions of the frame members 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

Secured to each end of the plank 9 beneath the overlying plate 11 is a flat strip 12, having a central pintle 13, on which pintle is pivotally mounted a strut member preferably in the natureof a metal rod bent to the form of a wide U-shaped bail 14. Cooperating with the latter are a series of stops 15, herein shown as upright lugs mounted on the upper face of the lower horizontal member of each angle-iron frame-bar 5, said stops being spaced at diflerent distances from the end of the bar.

As a simple and easily detachable means for anchoring the foot-rest to the floor of the vehicle, I attach to the under side of the plank 7 metal strips or bars 16, that project beyond the outer edge of said plank and are provided with integral downwardly-turned ends 17, forming, in effect, hooks adapted to enter holes or recesses 18, formed in the floor of the vehicle.

The manner of manipulating the device will be readily apparent from the foregoing description of its structure, but may be briefly set forth as follows: The attachment is laid upon the floor of a vehicle, with the hooks 17 engaging the holes or sockets 18 in the latter, which engagement prevents any forward yielding movement of the device under the pushing strains received by it in use. The user then raises the hinged plank 9, which constitutes the abutment member proper, whereupon the strut 14 drops and engages any one of the several opposite pairs of stops 15, according to the height and angle of inclination to which the plank is raised. This latter in its inclined position is rigidly upheld and supported by the strut 14 and stops 15 and forms a strong and rigid abutment and rest for the feet of the driver or operator, the inclination to which it is raised depending upon the amount of resistance to the thrust of the feet desired or required. When the inclined member 9 is not required for 'such purposes, by simply swinging the strut 14 upwardly into the plane of the plank 9 the latter may drop into the plane of the fixed plank 7, as shown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention provides a foot rest or brace of simple and economical construction capable of being securely anchored to the floor of a vehicle and readily removed therefrom when not required without necessitating any positive fastening means and affording a strong and rigid abutment at an adjustable angle of inclination for the feet of the driver or operator.

.frame provided with means for removably anchoring the same to the floor of a vehicle against forward movement, a foldable abutment member, and means for supporting the latter in various inclined positions, substantially as described.

3. A foot-rest for Vehicles comprising a pair of side frame-bars, a plank rigidlyconnected to and between the same, an abutment-plank hinged to said first-named plank, a strut ivoted to said abutment-plate, and means f dr removably anchoring said parts to the floor of the vehicle against forward movement, substantially as described.

4., A foot-rest for vehicles comprising a pair of side frame-bars, a plank rigidly connected to and between the same, an abutment-plank hinged to the inner edge of said first-named plank, a bail-shaped strut pivoted to said abutment-plank, stops mounted on said frame-bars and engaged by said strut to support said abutment-plate in an inclined oted to the ends of said position, and means for removably anchoring said parts to the floor of the vehicle against forward movement, substantially as described.

5. A foot-rest for vehicles comprising a pair of parallel angle-bars, a plank rigidly connected to and between the same, an abutment-plank hinged to the inner edge of said first-named plank, a bailshaped strut pivoted to the ends of said abutment-plank, a

series of pairs of stops mounted on said frame-bars and cooperating with said strut to support said abutment-plate in various inclined positions, and one or more bars secured to said first-named plank and having hooked ends adapted to enter holes in the floor of the vehicle, substantially as described.

6. A foot-rest for vehicles comprising a pair of parallel angle-bars, a plank rigidly connected to and between the same, an abutment-plank hinged to the inner edge of said first-named plank, a bail-shaped strut pivabutment-plank, a series of pairs of stops mounted on the horizontal members of said frame-bars and cooperating with said strut to support said abutment-plate in various inclined positions, guard-plates secured to the ends of said abutment-plate and overlapping said anglebars, and one or more bars secured to said first-named plank and having hooked ends adapted to enter holes in the floor of the vehicle, substantially as described.

WILLIAM H. LITTLE. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK O. GooDwIN. 

